What do we understand by “Humanities” and what is studied in this type of degree? In an increasingly concrete, more specialized world, it seems that interdisciplinary studies such as the Humanities are doomed to disappear.
Using an expression that is quite widespread in the university world, we can say that the Humanities “hit many buttons, but they don’t hit any of them.” Well, at first glance, it may seem like that.
Humanistic studies are versatile and do not focus on any specific discipline. But, paradoxically, that is your best letter of introduction. Because? Because reality is not composed of autonomous pieces separated from each other, but is an organic network of elements that not only touch each other, but also intertwine and form an endless chain of causes and consequences.
Thus, delving into a specific subject and not leaving it is something similar to staying locked up at home. Yes, we know all the furniture and all its corners, but what will happen when we have to go outside?
The Humanities propose, in this way, an open and rich vision, and therefore allow a much deeper and more complex knowledge of human reality Let’s see below what humanistic studies are based on.
In general, the Humanities refer to the set of careers that revolve around human beings and study their behavior and cultural manifestations, among other things. Some of these careers related to the Humanities are history, art history, law, philosophy or anthropology. All of them constitute autonomous and independent studies, although, obviously, they are linked to each other by their own humanistic nature.
However, For years we have found the degree in Humanities on the university scene (former degree in Humanities), which involves a much more complex interdisciplinary study than that proposed by other humanistic careers. And, as the name itself indicates, the degree in Humanities amalgamates all the variants of humanistic knowledge, namely: art, literature, philosophy, etc., with the aim of offering the student a broad vision and, at the same time, at the same time, profound, of everything related to the human being. This extensive and nuanced vision facilitates a better understanding of human behavior and its artistic and social expressions, by comparing elements apparently as diverse as art, anthropology and philosophy.
Let’s see below in detail what is studied in Humanities
1. History
It is one of the basic disciplines of these studies, since it focuses on the journey of the human being from the dawn of time to the present moment. The history subjectIt focuses mainly on the social, economic and political changes that have occurred in the world not only from a, we could say, “numerical” and quantitative perspective, but also focusing on the causes of these changes and the consequences they have had and continue to have on the current human community.
History is an essential subject for anyone who wants to enter the humanistic sciences, since historical events are the fruit of human behavior and thought. And not only that, but by understanding the past, you can better understand the present.
2. Art
It is another of the essential subjects in humanistic studies, since art is one of the most genuine expressions of human thought. Absolutely all cultures in the world have had and have artistic expression, closely linked to their perception of the world and their beliefs. Therefore, to delve into the history of art is to better understand these communities that used artistic creation as an expressive vehicle of their self and their reality.
In the Humanities degree, art is absolutely linked to other disciplines Being the vehicle of expression of a culture and an era, we can trace philosophical, religious, aesthetic and even psychological concepts in it. In fact, it is impossible to understand the artistic creation of a community or a historical period without taking into account the conditions, which can be of various kinds. What’s more, the study of art history allows us to know what each of the societies that have been part of history understood by beauty; In this way, we realize that there are many ways of seeing reality and that what may be good for us is not so good for others.
3. Philosophy
The eternal questions “Who are we?”, and “Where do we come from”? They are inherent to the human being Every person asks questions about the world and its own existence; This is something common in cultures of all times. Without philosophy, we could not understand the human being, because everyone, absolutely all of his actions, are motivated by a specific way of thinking and feeling.
The subject of philosophy aims, therefore, to do two things: on the one hand, to encourage in the student that need to understand and wonder, which is the basis of being human; on the other, a history, to be able to be compared, of philosophy. For the latter, the thought is studied not only of the different existing cultures, but also of those that have already disappeared, such as medieval philosophy. Also important authors are proposed, such as Plato, Descartes and Nietzsche and debates are established that revolve around his thoughts and work.
4. Literature
Literature is still an art, since it is the creative expression of a person or a community. However, it is usual to study it separately, thus differentiating it from the plastic arts. The same thing happens, as we will see, with music.
Like any artistic expression, literature is inevitably linked to the thoughts of its author, and this, in turn, to the thinking of the society and culture that embraces it. The author transfers to his work everything that he is, but also his opposition to the education received. That is why literature represents an invaluable document when analyzing not only an individual person, but also a human community.
It must also be taken into account that, as happens with art, literary manifestations can be subject to a propaganda will, so they must be studied not only with aesthetic pleasure, but also with the necessary objectivity with which any study would be carried out. another historical document.
5. Music
In the same way as literature, music is usually studied in a subject separate from other artistic manifestations. It is another vehicle for the expression of a community, an era or an author and, like any artistic creation, also susceptible to being manipulated.
We must not confuse the music subject taught in the Humanities with studies in musical science The Humanities focus rather on the history of music, on the multiple musical expressions that have occurred over time and on the diverse cultures that populate the world, seeking rather a relationship of this expression with the historical context in which it exists. the one who saw the light.
6. Anthropology
Anthropology is one of the most “modern” subjects that have been included within humanistic studies. Being a science that straddles the humanities and the sciences, we have not always found it within the Humanities curriculum, as is also the case with sociology. However, in recent years it has been offered as one of the subjects that the student can choose, and in this way it enriches the panorama of humanistic studies.
Not only that. Anthropology, as a relatively modern science (we find its antecedents at the beginning of the 20th century), renews the forms of study of the humanities by inserting them into a modern methodology
The problem of Eurocentrism in the Humanities
One of the main problems that have been occurring in the Humanities (and which, fortunately, seems to be changing today) is its eminently Eurocentric vision, not only of art, but of humanity in general. We will find, then, many graduates in Humanities who are completely unaware of everything concerning Eastern art or philosophy This problem, which, as we have already said, is slowly beginning to be resolved, has a certain logic if we take into account where the concept of Humanities was born.
We are not going to go too deep into this aspect; Just comment that humanism was a European current, which was born at the end of the Middle Ages and expanded later with the Renaissance. The humanist (such as, for example, a Leonardo da Vinci or a Michelangelo) was a character who mastered a multitude of themes, including, by the way, those of a strictly scientific nature.
Since this character is exclusive to the European culture of the Renaissance, and since university studies are linked to this continent, the humanistic sciences have been focusing exclusively on everything concerning Europe, and have completely forgotten about the rest of the cultures. . We insist that this is a problem that is gradually beginning to be solved, since centering the Humanities in Europe is not only unfair, but also makes no sense, since all cultures are human.
To this end, in recent years, subjects that previously did not exist in its curriculum have been included in the Humanities degree, such as anthropology, comparative history of religions or Asian literature which aim to delve into other realities beyond Europe.
